Community Discusses Health Care Issues During Senator Visit to Campus

The Nebraska League for Nursing and the Clarkson College honor societies Omicron Epsilon and Sigma Alpha Pi National Society of Leadership & Success hosted Senator Wendy DeBoer on campus on Feb. 4 to discuss health-related bills in the Nebraska 2020 Legislature. 

The organizations teamed up to bring Senator DeBoer to campus and offer the community opportunities to learn about the legislative process as well as several health care-related bills currently up for review in the legislature.

“We wanted to empower health care professionals to be influential in public policy, not only with their professional endeavors with practice, but also on a personal level with their own health,” said Omicron Epsilon faculty advisor and Associate Professor Nancy McMahon, MSN, RN, CNE, CPN. 

During the event, Clarkson College faculty, staff and students, as well as other members of the Omaha community, had the opportunity to ask Senator DeBoer questions about the legislative process. They also discussed currently proposed bills, including LB205 that proposes the creation of a Surgical Technologist Registry. The discussed bills would affect health care professionals within a wide range of fields and facilities across the state of Nebraska.

Event attendees provided valuable feedback to Senator DeBoer during the discussion, and she emphasized the importance of receiving this type of input from community members. Organizers hoped that the event would serve as an opportunity to teach people the importance of making these types of connections with their local and state officials. “Contacting state senators can seem intimidating, but they truly need our input to help them make the best decisions on behalf of their respective districts and the state,” said McMahon.

Senator DeBoer was elected to Nebraska Legislature in 2018 and serves District 10. Her committee assignments include: Judiciary, Justice Reinvestment Oversight (LB605), Legislature's Planning Committee, LR87 Special Committee, and Transportation and Telecommunications.